The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Mary O’Hara about her father Ray Lumpp winning a gold medal in 1948. Today would have been his 97th birthday so we are proud to honor his memory.
Your father was born in Brooklyn/raised in Queens: what made him choose NYU? He choose NYU because he wanted to play for Coach Howard Cann, who he admired so much. Playing college basketball in those days was completely different from the sophisticated game of today. Cann was a simplistic coach: no scouting reports or hours spent reviewing film/videotape. His theory on defense, which I strongly agree with, was this: if you play against an opponent for just a few minutes then you should know how to stop him.
What made Hall of Famer Cann such a great coach? Coach Howard Cann recruited all of the local New York players and they all had a special relationship with each other. They all loved Coach Cann,
His time at NYU was sandwiched around 3 years that he spent in the Army Air Force during WWII: what impact did his service have on him either on or off the court? He was able to play basketball for the Air Force…and most importantly he met his future wife (our mother!) in Lincoln Air Force base at a USO dance.
In the 1948 NIT he made the title game before losing to St. Louis: how close did he come to winning a title? They came very close to winning the NIT in 1948. St. Louis star Ed McCauley had an exceptional game (24 PTS) as the Billikens bested the Violets 65-52.
He played for team USA at the 1948 Olympics and tied a game-high with 11 PTS in the gold medal game vs. France: what did it mean to him to represent his country, and what did it mean to him to win a gold medal? The highlight of his career was bringing home the gold medal for team USA in 1948. It meant so much to him to represent his country. It took 2 weeks by boat just to get from the US to London. My dad said when they arrived London was still bombed out from the war against Germany and the London citizens were waiting on breadlines. They needed the Olympic Games to boost their morale.
He scored 12.7 PPG as a rookie in the BAA with Indianapolis/New York: how was he able to make such a smooth transition from college to the pros? He made that smooth transition from college to the pros due to Howard Cann’s coaching/advice.
He lost each of the 1st 2 Game 7s in NBA Finals history as a player for the Knicks (1951/1952): where do those rank among the most devastating losses of his career? Losing a pair of Game 7s were the most devastating losses of his career.
After retiring from basketball he spent 48 years as athletic director of the New York Athletic Club: how did he get the job, and why did he stick with it for a half-century? He got the job at NYAC because he wanted to stay in New York and raise his family on Long Island.
In 2012 Coach Mike Krzyzewski invited him to travel with team USA to London as his guest to serve as an example to the rest of the team:
what did it mean to him to get to return to England 64 years after playing there as a 25-year old? Getting invited to the 2012 Olympics by Coach K was an honor. He stayed with the team and had several conversations with Kobe Bryant/LeBron James. Kobe asked him how he ever got a basketball court named after him at the NYAC: he answered by saying that he spent 58 years working as the Athletic Director and always promoting the game of basketball at the club by letting teams practice there. He was able to attend practice with the Olympic team and we have some great photos of him with that team. Our whole family went to London with him and got to meet all of the players and their families.
He passed away in 2015: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? My dad will be remembered the most as a great husband and a wonderful father/grandfather. He also was very good at encouraging other athletes who came to the NYAC to become the best that they could be. He was a New York man who was instrumental in helping Freddie Lebow start the NYC Marathon by having the NYAC promote the run. He brought the NCAA trophy dinner to the NYAC and ran a successful day camp at NYAC’s summer place at Travers Island in Pelham. He is truly missed.